Running head: SERVICE LEARNING PROPOSAL

Service Learning Proposal

Kaitlyn Baldwin
Ferris State University

SERVICE LEARNING PROPOSAL

Service Learning Proposal
During the course of my RN to BSN journey I have been assigned to complete a service

learning project. The purpose of the service learning project is to show professional development
and growth as a nurse in the RN to BSN program. I have chosen to volunteer for the Northern
Regional Bleeding Disorders Center. During the project I will volunteer a minimum of 20 hours
of service with the agency. At the end of the RN to BSN program I will complete a capstone
project describing my experience with the project and how it impacts and develops my nursing
career.
Agency Description
The agency that I will be volunteering my time is called the Northern Regional Bleeding
Disorders Center. It is located in Traverse City, Michigan and is affiliated with Munson Medical
Center. The Northern Regional Bleeding Disorders Center is a branch of the nationally
recognized Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hemophilia Treatment Centers
(HTC). The role of this agency in the community is to provide the necessary medical care and
resources to patients who have blood discrasias such as hemophilia. The center opened in
Traverse City in 1986 and services patients from all over upper and northern Michigan (M. Hall,
personal communication, May 29, 2014).
The CDC provides resources for patients who have bleeding disorders and is committed
to reducing the chronic problems that are linked to these types of diseases.
A CDC study of 3,000 people with hemophilia showed that those who used an HTC were
40% less likely to die of a hemophilia-related complication compared to those who did
not receive care at a treatment center. Similarly, people who used a treatment center were

SERVICE LEARNING PROPOSAL

40% less likely to be hospitalized for bleeding complications (Center for Disease Control
and Prevention, 2014).
Volunteer Role Description
In my volunteer role I have been assigned to undertake a project called The Buzzy Bee
distraction Kit. I will be working closely with the clinics Nurse Practitioners, Michelle Witkop
DNP and Margaret Hall FNP. I will be organizing and implementing the project. The Clinic has
received funding from the National Hemophilia Foundation to financially support the production
of these kits (M. Witkop, Personal communication June 3, 2014). The funding and the volunteer
hours I will be providing will partner to make this project a successful one.
The Buzzy Bee distraction kit is going to be a resource for dozens of HTCs nationwide
to help pediatric patients who have a bleeding disorder to cope with the treatments they receive
such as clotting factor infusions, and blood tests. The distraction kits are geared towards easing
the pain response associated with these treatments. The kits will have toys, a vibration tool that
blocks the pain from shots and IV starts, a flash drive that will have resource information,
videos, games and also an electronic version of a poke plan that parents can use for when their
children are going to get a poke. I will be researching and negotiating the cost of the supplies
with the manufactures of the different components of this kit to lower the financial burden of
putting together the kit.
Kit Evaluation Plan
I will be making a pre and post survey that will be distributed to dozens of HTCs
nationwide to assess the need and desire to have a kit. The surveys will also assess how effective
the kit is during treatment and assess pain control when the kit is used. The impact on the

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community locally and also nationwide will be assessed with these surveys six months after the
kits are distributed. Interventions will then be adjusted based on the survey results.
Objectives Related to RN to BSN Program
I hope to learn the process of advocating on a national level, nursing interventions of pain
relief for a specialized vulnerable population. The leg work involved in implementing this type
of project on this large scale will teach me how to reach the objectives of the RN to BSN
program.
I will be utilizing information technology to communicate effectively and to collaborate
with other health care professionals. In this objective I will learn collaborative leadership.
During the research process I will analyze the credibility of sources of information and
knowledge which will show a theoretical base for practice.
Through this project I will be performing and examining current nursing practice using
the American Nurses Association (ANA) Scope and Standards of Professional Practice and the
Institute of Medicine (IOM) competencies for quality and safety as frameworks. This will show a
base of generalist nursing practice.
With the use of the information learned in this project it will build the components of my
professional nursing practice. This will show my scholarship for practice in my capstone
presentation of the service learning project.
I will discuss the practice roles and settings I will be involved in and show how this will
benefit the health care environment.
In this project I will examine and demonstrate the ideal of lifelong learning and service to
support excellence in nursing practice and professionalism.

SERVICE LEARNING PROPOSAL

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2014). Hemophilia treatment centers. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemophilia/htc.html

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APPENDIX A
Name: Michelle Witkop
Email: MWITKOP@mhc.net
Phone (231)935-7227
Job title: Clinical Nurse Practitioner
Department: Northern Regional Bleeding Disorder Center
Company: Munson Medical Center